Process and apparatus for forming face brick



Nov. 12, 1929. M, DUTY 1,735,491

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING FACE BRICK Filed Sept. 3, 1926 1 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 12, 1929. 4 s, M. DUTY Y 1,735,497

' PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING FACE'BRIGK I Filed Sept. 3, 1926' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hi7 3. as

Patented Nov. 12, 1929 SPENCER M.

mater DUTY, 0F CLEVELA D, OHIO, ASSIG1\TOB TO THE MEDAL BRICK AND TILE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION-OF OHIO rnoonss AND AIPLPABAT'US son FORMING FACE BRI K Application filed September 3, 1926. Serial No. 133,401.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming face brick, as used in the construction of dwellings and other buildings, and relates more particularly to the manner in which the edges of the brick are treated to produce an unsymmetrical, natural and pleasing effect apparent in the wall of the built-up structure. A further object of the invention resides in the feature of feeding the brick singly to a portion of the apparatus and permitting them to assume a lateral or rocking motion while passing a cutting mechanism so as to formulate an irregular and unsymmetrical edge out thereon. 7

Another ob 'ect of the invention is to provide a meansfor adjusting the side sway or lateral motion of the brick so asto produce cuts of different depths, that is, permitting the brick in'its advancement past the cutter to sway more or less, depending upon this adjustment, so that the brick will have a: freer movement'or a more restricted movement, thereby affecting the depth of the out along the edge.

A final object of the invention resides in the production of brick which when built up into Walls and the like, having a joiner of mortar between the brick, hasthe appearance of being old or weathered, and, due to the irregular exposed edges of the brick and the substantialxfillingfof the mortar therein, presents to the eye an artistic, natural quality distinguished from the ordinary mechanical and monotonous appe'arance prevailing with the'use of ordinary square or round brick.

Attempts have been made to produce brick which when built up into walls would have this so-called charm present in .the' early type of buildings and to endeavor to attain this result, the brick'have been rounded off along their edges, and when built up with mortar, the mortar 'is-somewhat recessed or brushed outso as to give the wall a weathered appearance. However, if the edges had a stifijregular, mechanicaledge the' effect would be exactly contrary to that desired.

There have been a greatmany attempts in the past few years to reproduce a brick which when built-up into a structurewould have the appearance of a weathered wall resembling the walls of the very old buildings, but all of the methods have been more or lessmechanical so that the result has been a symmetrical or mechanical wall with no pleasing appearance.

It has been concluded that in order toreproducea structure of this nature, having this weathered appearance, it is necessary to have a so-called naturally formed edge on the brick and to secure this natural-edge, I provide an apparatus through which the brick travels but at the same time permit the brick to assume a natural position, withincertain bounds, as they pass the cutter which trims 'ofi the edges. Thus, they are permitted to travel in a more or less swaying manner so that the edge of the brick is cut, dependingupon the position theyassume or take during the cutting operation. As a result, the cut edges are unsymmetrical, the face-of the brick varying'considerably throughout its entire length and the result is that the finished structure embodying these brick presents a-remarked resemblance to that of a weathered wall of Furthermore by mixing 1 early buildings. brick having edges cut in accordance with this invention with square edge brick the resulting wall structure presents a marked variation in the apparent sizes of the brick and mortar joints producing a :very artistic result which heretofore has not been present in actual brick construction.v

With the objects above indicated and other objects hereinafter explained in view, my in vention consists in themethod and-apparatus hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus used with my method showing the rela -v tive position of the brick. I

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal-top plan view, of the apparatus emp'loyedfor trimming off the shorter edges. A

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings, 10 represents a bottom plate adapted to receive the cut wet brick after being out from the continuous column of plastic material forced through the die of the ordinary brick forming machine. This bottom plate 10 is secured to themachineby suitable supporting means and its extreme outer end is provided with a diagonally sheared p tion .11, lear y shown n ig- A conveyor belt 12 extends'beyond this diagonal end'll of the'bottom plate 10 and is adapted to travelabont suitable rollers, one

of which is indicated at 13, which rollers are journaled in bearings 1:1 secured opposite ends of the apparatus to the longitudinally extending side strips 15 and 16. It should be understood that the dire tion of .1n ve men of the bel 12 is away fr m the bas plate "10,, and further, that ne of the rollers is driv n by any suitable means. The longitudinally extending side strips 15 and 16 are secured in any suitable manner to the floor, or base, of the apparatus and extend along V each'side of the conveyor belt 12. A suitable supporting plate17. is secured to the longitudinally extending side members 15 and '16 at the upper portion thereof, and this plate acts as a supporting means for the conveyor belt 12. filt' shon-ldbe here stated that the eon-veyorbelt 12 is adapted to pass underthe diagonalledge ll'of the bottom plate 10 or purposewhieh willbe hereinafter described. -Securedfto the upper surface of the longit-udina llyezitending side member 16 and at the side 01" the median line of the apt end adjacent the bottom plate 10 is an angle 18 which'has mounted to its upstanding leg v a guide 19. This guide 19 extends forwardly fromithe base plate 1.0 to a position substantially parallel with the median line of the 'ap paratus. The guide 19 is maintained in this relatine positionby means of a block 2.0 secured to the upper surface of the longitudinally extending? side member 16, the blockQO extending inwardly theretfiiom into. engageinent with the guide 19, but these two members are in no way connected together.

' There. is also secured to the upstanding'leg of the angle 18, and inside of the gui de 19, a deflecting member 1 whlch eirtends forward and nwardly therefrom and is so formed and positioned as to act as an abutment and deflector for the brick, as will be hereinafter described. 7

A similar guide 2-1 ex-tends substantially parallel to the guide 1.9 a l on the opposite f t to the block 22 mounted upon has its forward endseciured by.

p A the upper face ott'he longitudi'n-allyextending side member 15 at a point approximately opposite t he block 20. The free ends of these guide mean bers1'9 and 21 are adapted to move inwardly toward each other, but the outward movement of the guides is regulated ustabl-e rods 7 23 and 2% mounted in uprights 25 and 26,

these uprights being attached by means of bolts to the longitudinally extending side strips 15 and 16. These rods 23 and 24: are screw threaded at their outer ends and extend through openings in the upper portion of the uprights25 and 25 and toward the gui es 19 an 2 t inner ondsof h rods being close to, but in fact at a variable dis ed by the bracket 27, these rods extending warclly toward the guides s as to limit the o t d moveme fhe fre ends hereof- The ,ma e i l comp ising the guides 1:9 and 21 should be such as to permit exceptional flexibility therein sothat the portions .e

te d g re y beyond the blocks 20 and 22 w ll be sp ad apar at the least pr ssure to c 7 an extent perm tted y t e adjustab e rods 23 andQ andQSandQQ. i

Fla-t on str ps .31 and 32 are ecured by means of rivets to the lower end of the bracket F 27, bu above the rods 28 and 28, antlerend r a w y t wa d he ods 23 and 2 l- The free ends qofthe' Strep irons 31 and 32 are t s ed and extend downwardlyto .form deendin legs 33 and 3 l- 'Agn angle. 3e-having it apex in th ome ho izon al plane the ap x e rac et 7 is se ured there by m an f a angle '35 rive ed to each membe the angle 35 being substanti ally in the same vertical plane as the depending legs 35 34l ofthe strap irons 31 and 321.

A wire 37 is secured to thelower end of one leg of theangle 35 as. indicated as 37* and extends downwardly and angularly 7 across the median line of the apparatus and is secured to the lower end ofthe depending leg 33 of the strap iron- 31, as indicated at 37*.

A wire 38.,s'imilar. to wire 37 .is secured to.-

the lower end of the opposite leg of the angle 35, as indicated at 38 and extends down- Wardly and angularly across the medianline of the apparatusand is secured'to th evlower end of the depending leg 34 of the strap iron.

32, indicated at 38 It should be stated that the Wires are so disposed that they'will trim f;

oil the upper edges of'tlie'brick as they pass thereunder, as clearly; shown in Fig. 1. The tension of the wire may; also be adjusted which materially aids in obtaining the irreg ular edge cut on the brick. 7

Between the apex of the bracket 27 andthe strap irons 31 and 32 there is mounted, by means of screws, a pair of :brushes39 and 40, one of these brushes being positioned on each side of the bracket QTandin a position to engage the cut portions of the brick after-- between the guides. This produces an irregular and unsymmetrical edge out along on the brick which has-not been heretofore produced by the methods described. This lateral movement of the brick permits one edge to be cut more than the other, depending upon the direction in which the brick'sway. Under these conditions the side faces of the brick vary from approximately 1% to 2. The cut edges of the brick are then cleaned off and roughened as they pass the brushes 39 and 40.

It is sometimes desirable to produce a deeper and more wavy out along the long edges of the brick, and in order to obtain this additional wavy effect the supporting plate 17 may be omitted and the belt 12 supported by means of rollers 13 alone. This permits the brick to assume a rocking motion besides the lateral motion as they are fed past the cutter on the belt, the cutting of the edges in no way interfering with this rocking or lateral motion.

It is sometimes desirable to have the long edges of the ends of the bricktrimmed off in a similar manner to that which has been heretofore described. An apparatus for so trimming the edges is clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

Longitudinally extending side members 41 and 42 are secured to any suitable supporting base (not shown).' A conveyor belt 43 extends between the longitudinally extending side members 41 and 42 and passes over rollers 44 at each end of the belt, which rollers are journaled in suitable bearings mounted upon the longitudinally extending side members 41 and 42. This belt 43 is provided with a plu rality of angles 45 riveted thereto, the upstanding leg extending transversely of the direction of movement of the belt 43. Flexible guides 46 are positioned on each side of the belt 43, one end of which is secured to the upstanding leg of an angle 47 bolted to the upper surface of the longitudinally extending side members 41 and 42, the free ends of the guides extending forwardly. A bracket 48 is mounted on the upper surface of the longitudinally extending side members 41 and '42 and extends transversely of the belt 43. This bracket 48 is provided with wires 49 and 50 extending parallel to each other and secured to the bracket, and a further pair of wires 51 and 52 extend parallel to each other but at right angles to the wires 49 and 50, and these wires are also secured within the bracket 48. These wires are so arranged that as the brick passes therethrough the four long edges of the short sides of the brick are trimmed at once. g

The brick are placed by hand upon the belt 43 so that one of the long-sides engages with the'upstanding leg of the angle 45. The

belt being flexible causes the brick to pass in a more or less rocking condition through the cutter, and the flexibility of the guides 46 permits the brick to move laterally on the belt while passing through the cutter, this combined action causing the edges of the brick to be cut irregularly and unsymmetrically. It

should'be understood'that all of the brick are .not necessarily trimmed along the long edgesof the ends as there are only certain instances in which it is desirable to have these edges trimmed in the manner described.

While I have described the. method and preferred'apparatus in connection therewith,

it is to be understood that I do not intend to limit, myself to the specific structure emplovedas the invention residesin the feature of producing an irregular and unsymmetrical out along the edges of brick during the trimming of which the brick are moved on a flexible belt or conveyor through the cutter in a lateral or swaying manner, as clearly disclosed in the appended claims Having thus described my invention, I claim: f a

1. The herein described method of forming brick which comprises forming a brick body of wet plastic material, advancing the brick sothat irregular lateral motion maybe imparted thereto, and at the same time causing edges thereof to be trimmed. 2. The herein described method of forming brick which comprises forming a brick body of brick formingmaterial, conveying the body past a cutter to trim the edges, the said brick and cutter having an irregular relative lateral motion during the trimming operation. t r

3. The herein described method of form ing brick which comprises forming a brick of wet brick forming material, advancing the brick in successive arrangement past a cutter to trim the edges, imparting a motion to the brick as they pass the cutter to cause the edge thereof to be cut in an irregular and unsymmetrical manneiu 4. In an apparatus for trimming the edges of brick, a support adapted to receive the brick as they are formed, means for cutting the edges-of said brick, means for conveying e ges f he bri k, means. f r conv ying-the brick past the cuttingsmeans, andyieldable guidi g means. or gu ding t e br ck past the cutting means so as to caus a non-uni o m edge. V

6. In an apparatus for trimming the edges of brick, a support adapted to receive the formed bri k, a conveyor for said brick,

means positioned in the line of movement of so id conveyor for trimmingjthe edges of the brick, and resilient means for guiding the brick during the trimming operation 7. In an apparatus for ltriniming the edges of brick, a support adapted to receive the formed brick, a resilient conveyor for said brick,means for positioning the bricks in successive alignment on said conveyor, cut;. ting means positioned above and adapted to engage the edges of said brick, and resilient means for: guiding the brick through the cutting means to cause an irregular movement of said brick. V V

' 8. In an apparatus for trimming the edges of brick, a sup-port adapted to receive the brick after they are formed,means torcon: veying said brick, resilient guides for said brick, and cutting means above saidguides adapted to engage the upper edges of said brick." I

9; In an apparatus for trimming theredges of brick,a support adapted to receive the formed brick, a cutter for" cutting the edges of the brick, a belt for conveying the brick past the cutter, and resilient guides for positioning th'ebrick as they pass the cutter.

10. In an apparatus for trimming the edges of'brick, a support adapted to receive the formed brick, abe'lt for conveying the brick away from the support, a cutter above the belt adapted to trim the edges or the brick as they'are fed past the cutter by the belt, and resilient guides for guiding the brick past the cutter so as to cause a non-uniform edge out on the brick. V

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

v M. DUTY.

meme 

